Offering oyster shell

[dtabor]

So the consensus of my last post was due to my mixture of adults and pullets, I could feed all the multi-flock food, but I should offer my laying hens oyster shell. Other than the adults not allowing the littles up onto the roosts at night yet, they are pretty much integrated. I have a feeder for oyster shell and always offered it until the littles came along. How could I have it freely available to the layers and keep it away from the littles? For reference, the littles will be laying age around early October.

 

[lazy gardener]

The littles may do a bit of exploratory picking, but will for the most part leave the OS alone. The hens will eat it as needed.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Think the way I understood it, the young ones may/would try it out but not eat enough to cause ill effect. If you fed you flock layer (calcium is in it), the Roos & chicks got no choice but eat it. So on the side like this, it's choice feed & the hens will eat it. I used to feed layer but a multi purpose feed saves on space & waste

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The little ones and males don't really eat it. They peck at it and try some but it's the hens that gobble it up as needed.

I don't leave a dish out rather toss a handful on the ground once a week for nine layers. And if I forget then two handfuls every two weeks and if I forget again and start noticing the shells getting a little thin toss two handfuls on the ground and another in a week. It's quickly assimilated in the hens system and lasts a while. It's mind boggling to me how much calcium some people give their hens. They really don't need that much. If it's taking two or three whacks to break an egg on the side of dish they have more calcium in system than needed. People that feed layer feed and mix in oyster shell must need a hammer.

 

[hlhutchinson]

Mine are on a grower/finisher and outbof 4 one has started laying her eggs are nice and hard. They have not had an OS available, they free range most of the day.
I'm thinking when this bag is done I'll just get a multi flock and have some OS on the side. With the thought that they will eat what they need.
Or in your case the little ones will not eat the OS. That's my 2 cents

 

[igorsMistress]

I feed the chick grower still and just dumped a bag of OS on the ground next to the grit. I feed back their shells and those go before the OS. Nice shells that need a couple whacks on the bowl.

 

[dtabor]

Thank you for all the replies! I will put some out for them.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

The little ones and males don't really eat it. They peck at it and try some but it's the hens that gobble it up as needed.

I don't leave a dish out rather toss a handful on the ground once a week for nine layers. And if I forget then two handfuls every two weeks and if I forget again and start noticing the shells getting a little thin toss two handfuls on the ground and another in a week. It's quickly assimilated in the hens system and lasts a while. It's mind boggling to me how much calcium some people give their hens. They really don't need that much. If it's taking two or three whacks to break an egg on the side of dish they have more calcium in system than needed. People that feed layer feed and mix in oyster shell must need a hammer.

I am still buying eggs, only getting a couple a day so far and I noticed that the store eggs shells are WAY thinner than my eggs, my girls are getting 17% layer pellets.

Gary

 

[dtabor]

I am still buying eggs, only getting a couple a day so far and I noticed that the store eggs shells are WAY thinner than my eggs, my girls are getting 17% layer pellets.

Gary

My adults get layer feed usually but since they are integrating with the littles I needed to switch over to something else so as not to harm the younger ones. They should be laying sometime in early October so they can go back to layer feed

 

[FlyWheel]

My ten hens get fermented flock raiser (20% protein) and oyster/egg shell in a tuna can on the side. Treats in the evening if they finish all their feed by then, usually a small scoop dry feed, or a couple handfuls of mealy worms, kitchen scraps (vegetables, poultry or fish on the bone, which I can't give to the dogs) or scrambled eggs.